I previously wrote a more thorough review of Free Ride on this site, but to sum up: the book offers a well-researched look at copyright issues in the digital age over the past decade and a half. The reality is a far cry from the narrative you often hear from copyright’s critics — one of greedy dinosaurs who failed to adapt their business models and instead relied on ever-stronger enforcement.

The difference between that narrative and reality is not a historical accident, as Levine shows. The businesses and industries that benefited the most from weakened copyright protection and devalued digital content facilitated and funded many of the civil and academic proponents of those same ideas.

I think Free Ride is a must-read for creators, policy makers, and copyright wonks. It’s also entertaining, and should interest anyone who’s gotten into debates over file-sharing, digital media, or the future of the content industries.

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He was also a guest on the Leonard Lopate broadcast yesterday on WNYC. Good interview, although I think it kind of dragged when Lopate started asking bullet point questions about how different media forms are affected. It became a little like everyone was reading off a list. I would have liked to hear Levine talk more about the role of companies like Google in shaping public/political opinion. Levine also touched on an interesting point that at Ivy League institutions the “free culture” agenda is pushed by older professors while the young students seem to support copyright protection. Overall, the interview was good stuff, I recommend it:

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Copyhype provides news and info on current developments relating to copyright law, the media industries, and the digital economy. It cuts through the hype to bring reasoned discussion aimed at both legal and nonlegal audiences.

Terry Hart is currently VP Legal Policy and Copyright Counsel at the Copyright Alliance. Any opinions expressed on this site remain his own and not necessarily those of his present or any past employers.